Diego Costa might come across as crazy to some but to Toby Alderweireld he is simply misunderstood.

The pair won La Liga together at Atletico Madrid in 2014 and will be reunited on Sunday when Tottenham and Chelsea meet at White Hart Lane.

Costa comes into the game amid huge uncertainty, having clashed with Jose Mourinho earlier in the week, with suggestions later circulating that Chelsea will look to sign a new striker in the summer.

Diego Costa is simply misunderstood, according to former Atletico Madrid team-mate Toby Alderweireld

Costa pictured during a Chelsea training session ahead of their clash with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur

The Spaniard’s aggressive style has also been widely criticised this season but Alderweireld is adamant there is another side to the fiery striker.

It was Costa who took the Belgian defender under his wing when he arrived in Spain from Ajax in 2013 and Alderweireld said: ‘A lot has been said and written about Diego. Some of it true, some of it not so true. He’s a very tough guy and a very good striker. He always wants to win, even if it’s just a training match.

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‘But off the pitch he is totally different. He is a good friend and a very nice guy. When I was the new guy at Atletico he was very kind to me. He helped me a lot and made sure I felt welcome. He looked after me and I learnt about the club from him. He’s a totally different guy off the pitch than on it.

‘He loves his pranks. There were so many it is difficult to pick out just one. He was milling around doing them all the time. But he is a very good person.

‘He was just very nice to me. He was one of the few players who could speak a little English so to me that was quite helpful. He showed me around and was very good to me. He tried to help me settle.’

Alderweireld pictured shooting for Tottenham during their Europa League tie against Qarabag on Thursday

Tottenham's Alderweireld is adamant there is another side to fiery Chelsea striker Costa

The current question is whether Chelsea have settled their own form after a dreadful start to the season. Their midweek Champions League win over Maccabi Tel Aviv followed a 1-0 win over Norwich in their previous Premier League fixture.

Alderweireld, whose side had only one day to prepare following their Europa League win over Qarabag in Azerbaijan on Thursday, said: ‘We are in “the zone” now - everything is going well. That gives us confidence and makes us forget about any tiredness.

‘But it is going to be tough because Chelsea are starting to play well again now. If we want to be at the top of the league we have to win these games at home.’

Costa and Alderweireld won La Liga together at Atletico Madrid in 2014 before moving to England